MEMPHIS, Tenn.—Memphis College of Art is proud to announce the Fall 2012 BFA Exhibition, taking place Nov. 21 through Dec. 12 at Rust Hall’s Main Gallery (Overton Park), and the MFA Thesis Exhibition, taking place Nov. 28 – Dec. 15, at the Hyde Gallery, Memphis College of Art Nesin Graduate Center, 477 S. Main. The opening receptions for both exhibitions will take place at their respective locations on Friday, Nov. 30—the BFA reception is 5–7 p.m. at Rust Hall, and the MFA reception is 6–9 p.m. to coincide with Trolley Night in downtown Memphis.

The BFA exhibition features works from 15 BFA candidates and includes a variety of media from painting to sculpture to digital media. “It’s always an exciting time of year when the BFA show goes on display in the gallery,” said Ron Jones, president of Memphis College of Art. “I am continually impressed by the work that our soon-to-be graduates create, and it is interesting to see what they choose to punctuate the end of their careers here as students.”

The MFA Thesis exhibition, titled “Hysterics,” will feature four MCA MFA candidates: Raquel Adams, Rebecca Coleman, Shirin Shahin and Lindsey Gwaltney Todd. “Although the artists come from diverse backgrounds, their work is tied together through the artists’ representation of their various histories,” explained Haley Morris-Cafiero, assistant professor and director of graduate studies for the MFA program. “While one artist’s work references haunting imagery from the Southern landscape of memory, another artist mines her personal history with her son and explores being a teenage mother. Two artists document the effect the urban and commercial landscape has on their emotional state as they traverse through cities.”

Rust Hall’s Main Gallery is open Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; and Sunday noon – 4 p.m. The Hyde Gallery is open Wednesday – Saturday, noon – 5 p.m. with extended hours of 6 – 9 p.m. on South Main Trolley Nights. The galleries and receptions are open to the public and admission is free.

Memphis College of Art provides a rigorous curriculum in an intimate, diverse community to empower generations of leading artists, designers and educators to flourish professionally and contribute valuable ideas to society. The region’s only independent art and design college, MCA is fully accredited with expert, nationally renowned faculty and grants BFA, MFA, MA in Art Education and MA in Teaching degrees with graduates excelling in various careers across the country and internationally. For more information, visit mca.edu. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/memphiscollegeofart and on Twitter at @memphisart.